Etymologically
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graag

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Pronunciation

Forms

graag (comparative liever, superlative liefst)[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle Dutch gradich (“hungry, greedy”), inherited from Old Dutch *grādag, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *grādag, inherited from Proto-Germanic *grēdagaz (“hungry”), contracted by the loss of the ⟨d⟩ between vowels.[2][1][3] Van Veen and Van der Sijs give the full form as eastern Middle Dutch ⟨gradich⟩, ⟨gredich⟩, and Franck–Van Wijk cite ⟨gredych⟩ from the Teuthonista, while the Philippa dictionary treats the uncontracted form as unrecorded.[3][4][2] Dialects also have a form without the ⟨d⟩ but not contracted, ⟨graaiig⟩.[5][6]

The same word is Old Saxon grādag, Old High German grātag, Old English grǣdig (modern English greedy), Old Norse gráðugr (Danish grådig) and Gothic 𐌲𐍂𐌴𐌳𐌰𐌲𐍃 (grēdags, “greedy, hungry”).[2][7][8] It is an adjective formed in Proto-Germanic from the noun *grēduz (“hunger”), seen in grǣd (“greed”), gráðr (“greed”) and 𐌲𐍂𐌴𐌳𐌿𐍃 (grēdus, “hunger”).[2][1][7]

The root is probably an ablaut variant of *ger-, the root of gaarne and begeren, and perhaps also of gretig.[2][9][8] Further back the Philippa dictionary suggests Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰreh₁-dʰ-, an extension of *ǵʰerh₁-, but calls the origin unclear.[2] Franck–Van Wijk preferred a link with Old Irish gorte (“hunger”) and Lithuanian gardùs (“tasty”);[4][9] Van Haeringen found that link less convincing than the link with the root of the verbs of desire.[4][9]

Earliest recorded meaning

Graag is only recorded from about 1600, though Franck–Van Wijk think it must be older in part of the language area.[4][10][7] Its first sense was “hungry, greedy”: about 1560 a text speaks of someone graech van leden, with wasted limbs, and in 1623 sea water is said to make people graegh, hungry.[2][5]

Semantic evolution

From hunger for food the adjective soon widened to “eager, keen”: in 1618 people are graegh om wat te winnen, keen to earn something, and in 1635 there are grage koopers, eager buyers.[2][5] The Woordenboek der Nederlandsche Taal also records it for lovers and for grasping officials.[5] The adverb “with pleasure, gladly” appears in the same year 1635, and this is the main use today; the adjective “hungry, greedy” is now archaic.[2][11] The derivative graagte went the same way, from “hunger” (1644) to met graagte “with great pleasure” (1833).[2]

The comparative and superlative of the adverb are taken from another word, liever and liefst.[1][5] In Surinamese Dutch graag is also a polite “yes, gladly” in answer to an instruction, where the Dutch of the Netherlands uses it only in answer to a real question.[12] The word lives on in Afrikaans graag and was taken into West Frisian (graach), German dialects and Negerhollands.[13][1]

Timeline

  • c. 1560 – Graech van leden “with wasted limbs”, in the sense “hungry”.[2]
  • 1600 – First date of the adverb “with pleasure” in the Chronologisch woordenboek.[10][14]
  • 1618 – Graegh om wat te winnen, “keen to earn something”.[2]
  • 1623 – Sea water makes people graegh, hungry.[2][5]
  • 1635 – Grage koopers “eager buyers”, and the adverb “gladly”.[2][5]
  • 1644 – The derivative graegt “hunger”.[2]

Meanings

Adverb

  1. gladly, willingly, with pleasure: ze helpt hem graag.[11][1]
  2. In polite requests: de rekening graag, the bill, please.[11]

Interjection

  1. Yes please, in accepting something offered.[1][12]

Adjective

  1. (archaic) hungry, eager, greedy.[11][14][5]

Word family

  • graagte
  • ongraag
  • leergraag
  • praatgraag
  • weetgraag
  • gaarne
  • begeren
  • gretig
  • English greedy

Usage notes

Graag gedaan is the usual polite reply to thanks, “you're welcome”, and dat geloof ik graag means “I can well believe that”.[11] In Zeeland dialect the adjective still means “hungry”.[15]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Philippa, Marlies; Debrabandere, Frans; Quak, Arend; Schoonheim, Tanneke; Sijs, Nicoline van der (2003–2009), Etymologisch woordenboek van het Nederlands, 4 vols., Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press; online via etymologiebank.nl
  3. ^ a b Veen, P. A. F. van; Sijs, Nicoline van der (1997), Etymologisch woordenboek: de herkomst van onze woorden, 2nd ed., Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Lexicografie
  4. ^ a b c d Franck, Johannes; Wijk, Nicolaas van (1912), Franck's Etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal, 2nd ed., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h Vries, Matthias de; Winkel, L. A. te, et al. (1882–1998), Woordenboek der Nederlandsche Taal, 29 vols., 's-Gravenhage / Leiden: Nijhoff / Sijthoff / SDU; supplement 2001; gtb.ivdnt.org
  6. ^ Vercoullie, Jozef (1925), Beknopt etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal, 3rd ed., 's-Gravenhage / Gent: Nijhoff / Van Rysselberghe & Rombaut
  7. ^ a b c Vries, Jan de (1971), Nederlands etymologisch woordenboek, Leiden: Brill
  8. ^ a b Vries, Jan de; Tollenaere, Félicien de (2004), Etymologisch woordenboek: onze woorden, hun oorsprong en ontwikkeling, 23rd ed., Utrecht: Het Spectrum
  9. ^ a b c Haeringen, C. B. van (1936), Etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal: Supplement, 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff
  10. ^ a b Sijs, Nicoline van der (2001), Chronologisch woordenboek: de ouderdom en herkomst van onze woorden en betekenissen, Amsterdam / Antwerpen: Veen
  11. ^ a b c d e Van Dale Groot woordenboek hedendaags Nederlands (2014), Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Uitgevers
  12. ^ a b Donselaar, J. van (1989), Woordenboek van het Surinaams-Nederlands, Muiderberg: Coutinho
  13. ^ Sijs, Nicoline van der (2010), Nederlandse woorden wereldwijd, Den Haag: Sdu; with additions from the Uitleenwoordenbank (2015)
  14. ^ a b WikiWoordenboek (Dutch Wiktionary), nl.wiktionary.org
  15. ^ Debrabandere, Frans (2007), Zeeuws etymologisch woordenboek: de herkomst van de Zeeuwse woorden, Amsterdam / Antwerpen: Atlas